We are Hiring an Engagement Assistant!

4-Month Full-Time Contract with Possibility of Renewal

Application Deadline: Tuesday, April 5th at 11:59 AM noon (ET)

Anticipated Start Date: Monday, May 9, 2022

Compensation: $20/hour

Who is STEPS Public Art?

STEPS envisions a world where artists and communities co-create meaningful, welcoming and safe public spaces. We are a Canada Revenue Agency registered charity that engages and empowers artists and communities to transform public spaces into vibrant places. We are a small but mighty team of creative entrepreneurial innovators. We attract high-performing, highly ethical employees who truly care about their communities. Our team works well together because we hold ourselves accountable for strong project management and complement one another’s strengths. Our open-concept office along Toronto’s Waterfront has natural light and ample room for physical distancing. We have a flexible working arrangement policy that includes remote working options for staff.

Our main office is based in T’karonto, the Ancestral Wendat territory and the shared territory of the Anishinaabeg and the Haudenosaunee, covered by The Dish With One Spoon treaty, and later, Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands. STEPS is committed to cultivating safe space for Indigenous voices to be heard.

Who Are You?

We are seeking a creative, energetic and organized team player with passion for forging new partnerships, amplifying the work of Canadian artists and engaging people in public art experiences. Using STEPS communications framework, brand guidelines and organizational strategies, the Engagement Assistant will develop communications and social media campaigns showcasing our work in collaboration with artists, community agencies, municipalities, Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), corporate clients, and/or cultural groups across Canada.

Our ideal candidate will be passionate about the role of the arts and artists in building vibrant inclusive communities. You are creative, proactive, observant, well organized and thrive in a fast paced environment. You must be a skilled writer who has a knack for story-telling and can customize our messaging for different audiences and platforms. You are a social media whiz with a strong sense of design. You have some knowledge of both the arts and urban issues and have an interest in forging partnerships across industries.

You have experience jumping in and making suggestions that make an improvement on what has been built, while being respectful of the work that has come before. You thrive on each day being different and presenting new opportunities and challenges. You must be able to work independently, remotely, and be a collaborative team player.

STEPS encourages applications from all qualified candidates that represent the full diversity of communities in Canada, including complexities of intersecting identities such as ability, age, class, gender, race and sexual orientation.

This role is partially funded by Canada Summer Jobs, a federal program aimed at creating meaningful employment opportunities for young people. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as: Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), Black, a person of colour, newcomer, Disabled and LGBTQQIP2SAA+.

Responsibilities

• Support Engagement Manager in the research, development and implementation of communications and marketing strategies across the organization, including those targeted at niche markets to diversify audiences
• Write creative copy, identify existing visual content, and provide exceptional customer service for social media platforms (e.g. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) to increase followers, community engagement and brand profile across Canada
• Collect audio-visual/testimonial content and design new visuals for social media, website and print materials to facilitate cross promoted campaigns with partners
• Participate in the planning and execution of virtual events, such as artist talks, social media takeovers, workshops and organization/program information sessions
• Support Engagement Manager in the development of digital paid advertising campaigns leveraging Facebook Ads and Google Adwords for ongoing services as well as targeted program or fundraising campaigns
• Design communications tools (e.g. postcards, business cards, presentations, reports)
• Ensure professional brand and high quality visual identity across all channels consistent with brand guidelines and aesthetic 
• Work alongside Engagement Manager in tracking and reviewing engagement analytics, including social media, email marketing, media, program registrations to inform quarterly updates and marketing strategy
• Collaborate with team members to maintain up-to-date artist/partner collateral for internal artist roster and ongoing programming (e.g. sample artwork, biographies, contact information)
• Engage in evaluation activities to extract testimonials, impact metrics and lessons learned to inform promotional tools, and to strengthen organizational processes/content
• Represent the organization at meetings and public events to promote programs
• Contribute to team meetings and organizational wide strategic projects in support of STEPS mandate

Eligibility

This position is partially funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program. Preference will be given to candidates who meet the following criteria established by the funder:

• Are no more than 30 years of age during contract period (born AFTER February 25, 1993)
• Are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment
• Have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations

STEPS encourages applications from all qualified candidates that represent the full diversity of communities in Canada, including complexities of intersecting identities such as ability, class, gender, race and sexual orientation. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as: Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), Black, a person of colour, newcomer, Disabled and LGBTQQIP2SAA+.

We Think It’s Important That You Have the Following:

• Education (including formal, informal and self-directed learning) or equivalent experience in marketing, communications, public relations, visual arts, fine arts, design, arts management, creative industries, curation, or related fields
• Strong project coordination skills, honed through 1+ years of experience in communications, marketing or social media
• Ability to organize workflow, multitask and meet deadlines under minimal supervision
• Motivation and discipline as a self-starter, community builder and cultural enthusiast, who can passionately communicate the value of public art to diverse audiences
• A talent for writing clear, concise copy for multiple audiences, leveraging different social media platforms to increase brand awareness
• Demonstrated experience managing and creating digital content for social media with a streamlined approach
• Familiarity with social media platforms and other online platforms (e.g. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Eventbrite) with interest in learning new digital tools  
• Strong design skills and competence in graphic design software, such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, Canva or other platforms. Knowledge of Adobe Premiere and After Effects ould be an additional asset
• Passion for the Canadian arts and culture sector with interest in working with intergenerational participants, including youth and seniors
• Thirst to be a team player who is resourceful in a fast-paced organization and recognizes that a degree of chaos is required for innovation to take place. Each day will be different, demand flexibility, comfort with ambiguity and require flexing a diverse range of skills 
• An adaptable problem solver, comfortable fostering a collaborative environment among program teams and stakeholders, who sometimes have divergent interests
• Excitement for bringing personal creativity and experimentation to a startup environment, including ensuring efficient processes and scaling programmatic impact
• Self-motivated, with the capacity to work independently and collaboratively to accomplish tasks of varying degrees
• Eagerness to explore modern outreach and communication strategies, including comfort with researching and suggesting new marketing approaches
• A creative thinker to support the development of both in-person and online outreach strategies and communications tools to meet the needs of diverse audiences
• High attention to detail and ability to learn quickly
• Proficiency in PC and Mac operating systems, Microsoft Office, Google Drive and Zoom
• Experience with WordPress, Mailchimp, Google Adwords, Facebook Ad Manager, Google Analytics and SEO considered an asset
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends
• Willingness to adhere to STEPS COVID-19 Workplace Health & Safety Plan which includes a vaccine policy for any staff engaged in in-person activities
• Fluency in French will be considered a strong asset

Application Process

The application portal is now closed. Thank you for your interest in STEPS!

We invite qualified applicants to apply via the online portal by no later than Tuesday, April 5th, 2022 at 11:59 AM Eastern Time (ET). Applications will not be accepted by email.

This interview process will make use of video conferencing and respect public health guidelines. While we appreciate the interest of all applicants, we can only communicate with those shortlisted for an interview. For the immediate future, this will be a remote-work position so we are open to accepting applications from anywhere in Canada.

Image Credit:
Comm(unity) PATCH Hoarding Exhibit by artist Lindsay Hill and photography by Mila Bright